Al Hirt - 9 Albums (1987-2015)

Al Hirt - 9 Albums (1987-2015)

Alois Maxwell "Al" Hirt (November 7, 1922 – April 27, 1999) was an American trumpeter and bandleader. He is best remembered for his million-selling recordings of "Java" and the accompanying album Honey in the Horn (1963), and for the theme song to The Green Hornet. His nicknames included "Jumbo" and "The Round Mound of Sound". Colin Escott, an author of musician biographies, wrote that RCA Victor Records, for which Hirt had recorded most of his best-selling recordings and for which he had spent much of his professional recording career, had dubbed him with another moniker: "The King." Hirt was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in November 2009.

Hirt was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of a police officer. At the age of six, he was given his first trumpet, which had been purchased at a local pawnshop. He would play in the Junior Police Band with the children of Alcide Nunez, and by the age of 16, Hirt was playing professionally, often with his friend Pete Fountain. During this time, he was hired to play at the local horse racing track, beginning a six-decade connection to the sport.

In 1940, Hirt went to Cincinnati, Ohio, to study at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music with Dr. Frank Simon (a former soloist with the John Philip Sousa Orchestra). After a stint as a bugler in the United States Army during World War II, Hirt performed with various swing big bands, including those of Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Ina Ray Hutton.

In 1950, Hirt became first trumpet and featured soloist with Horace Heidt's Orchestra. After spending several years on the road with Heidt, Hirt returned to New Orleans working with various Dixieland groups and leading his own bands. Despite Hirt's statement years later "I'm not a jazz trumpeter and never was a jazz trumpeter", he made a few recordings where he demonstrated his ability to play in that style, during the 1950s with bandleader Monk Hazel, and a few other recordings on the local Southland Records label.

Hirt's virtuoso dexterity and fine tone on his instrument soon attracted the attention of major record labels and he signed with RCA Victor. Hirt posted twenty-two albums on the Billboard charts in the 1950s and 1960s. The albums Honey in the Horn and Cotton Candy were both in the Top 10 best sellers for 1964, the same year Hirt scored a hit single with his cover of Allen Toussaint's tune "Java" (Billboard No. 4), and later won a Grammy Award for the same recording. Both Honey in the Horn and "Java" sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold discs.

Hirt's Top 40 charted hit "Sugar Lips" in 1964 would be later used as the theme song for the NBC daytime game show Eye Guess, hosted by Bill Cullen and originally airing from January 1966 to September 1969.

Hirt was chosen to record the frenetic theme for the 1960s TV show The Green Hornet, by famed arranger and composer Billy May. Thematically reminiscent of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee, it showcased Hirt's technical prowess. The recording again gained public attention in 2003 when it was used in the film Kill Bill.

From the mid-1950s to early 1960s, Hirt and his band played nightly at Dan's Pier 600 at the corner of St. Louis and Bourbon Street. The club was owned by his business manager, Dan Levy, Sr.

In 1962 Hirt opened his own club on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, which he ran until 1983. He also became a minority owner in the NFL expansion New Orleans Saints in 1967.

In 1962, in an effort to showcase him in a different musical setting, Hirt was teamed with arranger and composer Billy May and producer Steve Sholes to record an album titled Horn A Plenty that was a departure from the Dixieland material that he was generally associated with. Covering an eclectic variety of popular, standard and show tunes, it featured a big-band supplemented by timpani, French horns and harp. He also appeared opposite Troy Donahue and Suzanne Pleshette in the 1962 motion picture, "Rome Adventure."

In 1965, he hosted the hour-long television variety series Fanfare, which aired on CBS as a summer replacement for Jackie Gleason and the American Scene Magazine.

Hirt starred along with the University of Arizona marching band at the first Super Bowl halftime show in 1967.

On February 8, 1970, while performing in a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, Hirt was injured while riding on a float. It is popularly believed that he was struck in the mouth by a thrown piece of concrete or brick. Factual documentation of the details of the incident is sparse, consisting primarily of claims made by Hirt after the incident. Whatever the actual cause of his injuries, Hirt underwent surgery and made a return to the club scene. This incident was parodied in a Saturday Night Live skit from their second season Mardi Gras special, the "Let's Hit Al Hirt in the Mouth with a Brick Contest".

In 1987, Hirt played a solo rendition of "Ave Maria" for Pope John Paul II's visit to New Orleans. He is referred to in the 1987 film Good Morning, Vietnam, in a broadcast made by Lieutenant Hauk (Bruno Kirby).

Hirt died of liver failure at the age of 76, after having spent the previous year in a wheelchair due to edema in his leg. He was survived by his wife, Beverly Essel Hirt, and six children from a previous marriage.

Al Hirt - 9 Albums (1987-2015)

This double LP features both the Al Hirt and Pete Fountain bands performing live during halftime at the 1976 Super Bowl. Trumpeter Hirt, heard on one of his best recordings in 15 years, leads a sextet featuring longtime clarinetist Pee Wee Spitelera on two lengthy numbers, plus a four-song "Salute to Satchmo" medley. Clarinetist Fountain (at the front of an octet that also stars tenor great Eddie Miller) romps on six swinging numbers, and the two bands jam together on "Perdido," "Basin Street Blues," and "Super Bowl Blues." Dixieland fans will want to pick up this often-overlooked gem. ~ AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

Pete Fountain and His Band04. Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree (3:09)05. Mood Indigo/It's Been a Long, Long Time (7:11)06. When the Saints Go Marching In (6:03)07. A Closer Walk (5:14)08. Lazy River (4:37)

Al Hirt - 9 Albums (1987-2015)

Once a virtuoso trumpet player for the Dorseys, Al Hirt, essentially a Dixieland genius on the horn, broke through to a mass audience with a string of joyous, energetic, and engaging instrumental hit singles in the 1960s, including infectious delights like "Java," "Cotton Candy," "Sugar Lips," "Up Above My Head," and "Fancy Pants," all of which are collected here in this fine 20-track, single-disc introduction to this one-of-a-kind horn player. ~ AllMusic Review by Steve Leggett

Al Hirt - 9 Albums (1987-2015)

Recorded live at Dan's Pier 600 in New Orleans, At the Mardi Gras is Al Hirt on his home turf, running through a set of stage staples like "Basin Street Blues," "Perdido," "Diga Diga Doo," "That's A-Plenty," and "Yellow Dog Blues." Personnel varies from track to track, giving some of the songs a far more modern feel than what's required and spoiling the mood in spots, but this is still a nice portrait of the trumpeter playing for the hometown faithful. ~ AllMusic Review by Cub Koda

Al Hirt - 9 Albums (1987-2015)

A straight CD reissue of Al Hirt's Jazz Band Ball from 1956, this is one of the finest recordings ever of trumpeter Al Hirt and clarinetist Pete Fountain. A classic Dixieland set, it finds Hirt and Fountain in their early prime quite inspired by each other's ideas. With the assistance of a fine rhythm section and the underrated trombonist Bob Havens, Hirt and Fountain romp through such numbers as "The Original Dixieland One-Step," "Royal Garden Blues," "Jazz Me Blues," and "South Rampart Street Parade." A special bonus is that Fountain takes very rare tenor solos on two songs, being showcased (and sounding like Eddie Miller) on "Washington and Lee Swing." Essential music for Dixieland fans. ~ Review by Scott Yanow

Track 1 not present in databaseTrack 2 not present in databaseTrack 3 not present in databaseTrack 4 not present in databaseTrack 5 not present in databaseTrack 6 not present in databaseTrack 7 not present in databaseTrack 8 not present in databaseTrack 9 not present in databaseTrack 10 not present in databaseTrack 11 not present in databaseTrack 12 not present in database

Al Hirt - 9 Albums (1987-2015)

The first of four Al Hirt Audiophile albums recorded during the same year, this LP finds the trumpeter in prime form before he started making commercial hit records. With trombonist Bob Havens and clarinetist Harold Cooper completing the frontline, Hirt runs through an exciting set of Dixieland. This version of "Saints" is quite unusual, for Hirt and his fellow horn players start off trading four-bar phrases and gradually cut it in half again and again until they are trading off every beat. Other highlights include "Tiger Rag," "Fidgety Feet" and "Hindustan." An excellent example of Hirt's Dixieland playing, but unfortunately, all of his Audiofidelity releases are long out of print. ~ AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

Al Hirt - 9 Albums (1987-2015)

Back in the 1960's it was almost impossible not to see New Orleans music legend Al "He's The King" Hirt on some weekly television variety show, or hear one of his latest hit songs on the radio, or hear his music in movies and hit TV programs like the Green Hornet. In 1965, Al Hirt and producer Jim Fogelsong went into the RCA Studios in Nashville and cut these 14 seasonal holiday favorites for the album The Sound Of Christmas. Out of circulation for many decades until now, the CD reissue features two bonus tracks all available for the first time ever on Compact Disc!

Track 10 Filename : /Users/brad/Downloads/rips/Al Hirt - The Sound of Christmas (2013) [FLAC]/10 Medley_ What Child Is This_ - Oh Little Town of Bethlehem - It Came Upon A Midnight Clear.flac /Users/brad/Downloads/rips/Al Hirt - The Sound of Christmas (2013) [320]/10 Medley_ What Child Is This_ - Oh Little Town of Bethlehem - It Came Upon A Midnight Clear.mp3

Track 14 Filename : /Users/brad/Downloads/rips/Al Hirt - The Sound of Christmas (2013) [FLAC]/14 Medley_ We Three Kings of Orient Are - The First NoГ«l.flac /Users/brad/Downloads/rips/Al Hirt - The Sound of Christmas (2013) [320]/14 Medley_ We Three Kings of Orient Are - The First NoГ«l.mp3

Al Hirt - 9 Albums (1987-2015)

Track List:01. I Had The Craziest Dream (2:52)02. Paper Doll (2:39)03. You'll Never Know (2:53)04. It's Been A Long, Long Time (2:38)05. The Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart) (2:40)06. Autumn Leaves (2:34)07. There, I've Said It Again (2:33)08. I've Heard That Song Before (2:38)09. I'll Get By (3:18)10. Deep Purple (2:20)11. Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White (2:30)12. I'll Be Seeing You (2:59)